CONVERSATION PRACTICE

VIEWPOINT AND COMMENTING ADVERBS

FRANKLY THEORETICALLY HONESTLY SERIOUSLY CONFIDENTIALLY

PERSONALLY SURPRISINGLY IDEALLY OFFICIALLY OBVIOUSLY SURELY
UNDOUBTEDLY CERTAINLY DEFINITELY SIMPLY CLEARLY PRESUMABLY
DISAPPOINTINGLY FORTUNATELY HAPPILY WISELY UNBELIEVABLY
FRUSTRATINGLY CLEVERLY UNLUCKILY THOUGTHFULLY NATURALLY
APPARENTLY TECHNICALLY
Examples:
Personally, I’d rather go by train.
Surpisingly, this car is cheaper than the smaller model
She is certainly the best person for the job.
You obviously enjoyed your meal.

1. What does the comment word add to the meaning of the sentence in each of these cases:
a. Oh, haven’t you heard? Apparently he’s moving to their Birmingham office.
b. Well, presumably he’ll got the message by now.
c. But unfortunately nobody told me until this morning.
d. I don’t honestly think it would be a very good idea.
e. Well, luckily there was another train only ten minutes later.
f. Oddly enough we’d stayed at the same hotel ourselves.
g. Naturally I was rather taken aback.
h. Actually I don’t think it made a lot of difference.

Not only do those words show the speaker’s attitude to what he is saying –surprise, irritation, disappointment and
so on –they invite his hearer to show his reaction too.
Work in pairs. One person say each of the sentences in 1. Pay particular attention to intonation. The second
speaker tries to make an appropriate response. You will find typical responses are:
Yes, I suppose so.
Really / Did you? / Weren’t you? / Why not?
i.e. invitations for the first speaker to comment further.
Or That was unfortunate / You would be / That is a surprise.
i.e. agreement comments, often including an stressed auxiliary.

Cursos on-line HOMOLOGADOS por la Universidad pública Rey Juan Carlos (URJC).
Puedes ver nuestra oferta en: www.aulavirtualopositta.es
Escuela Oficial de Monitores y Directores de Tiempo Libre “Asturocio”.
HABILITACIONES DE BILINGÜE (Centro OFICIAL examinador 47486 Trinity College London).
CURSOS DE ADAPTACIÓN DE GRADO PARA MAESTROS (semipresencial/on line/solo con TFG).
DECA online (3 meses)

INFORMACIÓN Y RESERVAS: 619 867 865 – asturias@opositta.es

Many comment words can be expressed in different ways:
Apparently he’s left Dawson’s now = It seems he’s left Dawson’s now
Honestly I’m not really surprised = To be honest I’m not really surprised.

2. Read the following dialogues. In each case the second speaker should add an appropriate comment
word, and the first speaker should then add one more sentence to the conversation.
a. Did you get to the bank?
Yes, but not until it had closed.
b. Do you know Arthur Smith?
Yes, we were at school together.
c. Did you get there on time?
Yes, the train was only five minutes late.
d. He didn’t seem very upset.
Well, he’d heard before.
e. That didn’t do any good at all.
I thought it would.
f. Have you been to the exhibition yet?
No, I haven’t
g. They lost again.
I’m not surprised.
h. How did Jane react?
Well, she was rather cross.
i. You must be rather fed up with it by now.
I think it’s gone on long enough.
j. What did John say?
Well, he refused to pay.

Cursos on-line HOMOLOGADOS por la Universidad pública Rey Juan Carlos (URJC).
Puedes ver nuestra oferta en: www.aulavirtualopositta.es
Escuela Oficial de Monitores y Directores de Tiempo Libre “Asturocio”.
HABILITACIONES DE BILINGÜE (Centro OFICIAL examinador 47486 Trinity College London).
CURSOS DE ADAPTACIÓN DE GRADO PARA MAESTROS (semipresencial/on line/solo con TFG).
DECA online (3 meses)

INFORMACIÓN Y RESERVAS: 619 867 865 – asturias@opositta.es